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David Copperfield is the highest paid magician in the world.. See the list..

David Copperfield is the highest paid magician in the world.. See the list..

While most people give up on magic tricks when they hit puberty, the fortunate few who persevere can wind up on a lucrative career path.

To put this into context, the highest paid magician, David Copperfield, earned far more in the last year than the highest paid TV actress, Sofia Vergara, and virtually the same amount as the highest-paid actor in the world Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnsonaccording to Forbes.

While Copperfield, a famed American illusionist, made an estimated $64m (£52m) in 2016, Johnson earned $64.5m (£53m) and Modern Family actress Vergara earned $43m (£35m) in the same period.

Copperfield, who has walked through the Great Wall of China, made the Statue of Liberty disappear and levitated over the Grand Canyon, is a near-billionaire. Forbes estimated his net worth at $800m (£654m) in 2013 and estimates him to be the most commercially successful magician in history.  Read more…

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/forbes-highest-paid-magicians-david-copperfield-a7381856.html

What’s the Trick to Fooling Penn & Teller?   Part One…

What’s the Trick to Fooling Penn & Teller?   Part One…

By Paul Gertner…  One of the hottest shows this summer has been Penn & Teller: Fool US, which is now in its third season on the CW Network. I had the pleasure of appearing on the show this season. I was assigned the task of fooling Penn & Teller…with a trick they already knew.

If you have not had a chance to view my recent appearance on Fool Us, you can go to my YouTube page and click on the Penn & Teller Video Link to watch that performance video before reading any further. If you do, this Blog Post will make a lot more sense. You can also link to the video from my website.

Back in February I was contacted by Lee Terbosic an excellent magician and good friend from Pittsburgh who said he had an opportunity to appear on the TV show Penn & Teller Fool Us. But the tricky part (pun intended) was that they wanted him to perform my routine Unshuffled and he was contacting me to get my permission to perform that routine on the show. (As a side note to magicians reading this: That was a very professional thing to do. Unshuffled is a published routine and Lee was under no obligation to do that, but he’s a pro.)

I have to admit, I was a bit surprised that Fool Us wanted someone else to do my trick because to me that show is all about original inventions… or at least magicians adding their own unique presentation to a trick and seeing if their performance was clever enough to fool the Bad Boys of Magic: Penn & Teller. Read more at: http://gertner.com/fooling-penn-teller/

HOW FEMALE MAGICIANS BROKE THROUGH THE MAGIC CIRCLE’S BOYS’ CLUB..

HOW FEMALE MAGICIANS BROKE THROUGH THE MAGIC CIRCLE’S BOYS’ CLUB..

(Pic..The Magic Circle)  In a year that Britain appointed only its second female Prime Minister in Theresa May and Hillary Clinton is on the cusp of her own historic presidential race in the United States, female magicians across the world are also celebrating a milestone: 2016 marks 25 years since the elusive and prestigious Magic Circle allowed entry to its first female members.

Founded in 1905, The Magic Circle is the secretive society that illusionists across the world want to join. Its current members include David Copperfield, arguably the most famous magician alive, and British magician Dynamo. The late Paul Daniels was also a member. Its most famous member isn’t a trickster by trade—but royalty; Prince Charlesgained entry in 1975 by performing a cups-and-balls trick.

Gaining membership is the ultimate approval of a magician’s showmanship; before joining, he or she must complete a rigorous process that includes being recommended by two current members, complete an interview with the Magic Circle’s council and, finally, perform a show in front of a panel of judges and members. “You get judged on three counts. It was terrifying, I don’t think I’ve ever practised so much for anything in my life,” the British mentalist Katherine Mills tells Newsweek. “It was a landmark in my career. I wanted to be part of the Magic Circle so much.”  Read more….

http://www.newsweek.com/how-female-magicians-broke-through-magic-circles-boys-club-504185